Culture Expert: How Leaders Measure, Own, and Fix the Culture They Inherited | Karl Treacher

If culture’s in HR, it’s in foster care. Karl Treacher has spent 25 years inside boardrooms, including the war room of a big four bank during the Royal Commission, and he has watched leaders hand culture to the one department that was never meant to own it. Engagement scores can look healthy while the culture underneath is quietly turning toxic, and the board is often the last to know. Karl built a culture diagnostic later featured in Harvard Business Review, and he says measuring culture is far easier than most leaders believe. He and Andrew get into what boards consistently misread about the culture they lead, and the afternoon in an aged care day room that set the course of his career. If you sit on a board, run a team or answer to one, this conversation will change how you look at your own organisation.  00:00 Who really owns culture in your company?  01:31 Nursing homes, Olive and the moment Karl saw the system was the problem  07:41 “If culture’s in HR, it’s in foster care”  09:31 Culture vs climate: the confusion boards keep making  11:38 Building the culture diagnostic HBR called the gold standard  14:43 Donuts, beers and gaming the engagement survey  15:41 Inside a big four bank’s war room during the Royal Commission  16:59 Return to office: what the evidence actually says  22:32 Small business: when the founder’s character becomes the culture  24:30 Why most leaders have burnout wrong  28:45 Writing a book on burnout, and burning out  31:37 Why we’re running antique cultures not fit for today Find out more about Karl’s work and the Culture Institute: https://builttoburn.com.au/ Connect with Karl on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/treacher/ Get Karl’s book: https://www.amazon.com.au/Built-Burn-People-Leaders-Cultures/dp/1394456514 - High performance is not about pushing harder. It is about building the capacity to perform when it matters and sustain it over time. Hosted by Andrew May, one of Australia’s leading experts in human performance, leadership and mental skills, the Performance Intelligence Podcast explores how leaders, athletes, coaches and researchers think clearly, manage pressure and consistently perform at their best. Drawing on more than 20 years working with senior executives, elite sporting teams and the Australian Defence Force, Andrew combines candid conversations with evidence-based performance insights and practical strategies you can apply. Episodes span leadership capacity, performance psychology, mental skills, energy management, strategic recovery, productivity and wellbeing. Listen to think more clearly, lead more effectively and perform at your best for longer. Get in touch through: Our website: https://performanceintelligence.com/ Book Andrew: https://performanceintelligence.com/keynotes/ Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/performanceintelligencepq/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/performanceintelligence-byandrewmay Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/performanceintelligencebyam/ Watch this episode on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@performanceintelligencepodcast If you enjoy the podcast, we would really appreciate you leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Play. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps us build our audience and continue to provide high quality guests.